


These Small Hours, Still Remain

by OrdinaryunOrdinary



Series: A Memory of You [2]
Category: unOrdinary (Webcomic)
Genre: Arlo needs a hug, Death, Realization, but Rei isn’t there anymore, loss of someone, realizing that someone you loved is dead...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrdinaryunOrdinary/pseuds/OrdinaryunOrdinary
Summary: Arlo originally didn’t know how to handle Rei’s death, but the more time he spends alone, he comes to realize just how much this hurts him.
Relationships: Arlo & Rei (unOrdinary)
Series: A Memory of You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966768
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	These Small Hours, Still Remain

The worst part about having someone in your life, is when they’re gone.

Arlo, didn’t know how to handle the news that Rei had died. It wasn’t like Rei was invincible, he had seen Rei injured a number of times, but never had he imagined that Rei would be dead. His original reaction was anger. Because this had to be some sick joke on Remi’s part right? She had to be messing with him, Rei had to be hiding behind a tree or something. As bad as that sounds, it was the only reasonable explanation in Arlo’s mind. 

Because Rei couldn’t die. 

He couldnt. 

There was so much left for him to do. His rematch against Arlo, yeah, Arlo still has to kick his butt, to show him how strong he’d gotten. That’s what Arlo had said to Remi. He had conveyed that he was only concerned about the rematch. Because how unfair of Rei to promise a rematch to him, and then leave. 

It was a sick joke, that’s what it was. 

Except...it wasn’t.

Arlo was never a particularly sappy person. But he couldn’t deny the beauty of sunsets. How the reds, oranges, and pinks would blend together as the sun cast its final rays over the sky, before fading to darkness. Arlo imagines that’s how it was for Rei. He gave out every piece of sunshine that he had, before he eventually flickered away. 

Arlo was never sappy, but Rei was. Rei, the bastard, had taken him up to this cliff as one of the first times they’d hung out together. Said he wanted to show something Arlo would never forget. The cliff looked over a large river, which extended way past the horizon. Rei promised that he and Arlo would see the whole thing one day. That someday, they’d travel the vast body of water until they reached its end, where it touched the sun. 

It was a childish dream, a promise that held little to now weight to it, because it was near impossible. But when Arlo looked into Rei’s eyes and saw the genuine care and gleam of that promise in his eyes, Arlo found himself believing that maybe it wasn’t impossible. Maybe they could travel the river, and touch the sun. Maybe it would burn their fingers and they’d shed tears in pain, but maybe, they would have done the impossible. 

Because side by side, anything was possible. As long as they had each other.

So as Arlo sat on the edge of this rocky cliff, looking out at the water which was started to swallow the sun yet again, he found an ache begin to set in his heart. 

This wasnt fair. Rei wasn’t meant to die. Rei was someone who had so many things planned out ahead of him. He had ambitions and goals he wanted to achieve. Then the world had snatched him away before he couldn’t even begin. Rei spent so much time giving to others, that he never got the time for himself. Arlo hummed, he never thought he’d compare one of his friends to the sun. But, Rei was a literal ray of sunshine, and the light that he had given to Arlo, could never be paid back.

Arlos jaw clenched, an emotion he wasn’t used to feeling boiling inside of him. Maybe it was rage, he could definitely say it wasn’t rage. Because in a way, he was mad at Rei. He was mad that Rei, as kind and good hearted as he was, gave up his life in that way. He had died doing something so stupid, something he knew could get him killed. He died to a group of people, who’s only purpose was to cause harm. He had given EMBER exactly what they wanted. And Arlo was mad at EMBER as well. What business did they have murdering someone like Rei? Rei was only trying to do his best, he wanted everyone to have a chance in life, why did they take that away? What was the point in killing Rei? 

Why Rei!

It has to be rage, because as he clenched his jaw harder, he fought back the urge to scream. To scream at the world until it brought Rei back. He didn’t care what it took, if his lungs gave out, or his throat was ripped to shreds, if screaming held any chance of Rei coming back, then he’d scream until it happened. 

But there was a part of him, that felt like this was something else. Something worse then rage. Something that was eating away at the most sensitive part of his soul. And it hurt.

It hurt like hell. 

—————

Arlo always likes the quiet. His apartment always was quiet. It wasn’t like he needed his T.V on for white noise. And even if he didn’t need white noise, the cars passing by served their purpose. But tonight, it felt like the silence was suffocating him. On the cliff, he had been reasonably overwhelmed, because that was a special place between the two of them. So he figured, if he went back home, he’d be able to calm down.

How wrong he was. 

It seemed like everywhere he looked, he saw Rei. Rei spent an unnecessary amount of time at Arlo’s apartment and it would show. The older would sometimes forget something and then never come back to get it, or he’d dropped a little something off that Arlo would usually just throw somewhere. Arlo never really knew just how much those little things meant to him. 

Rei was always a busy person, always needed something to do. And he traveled a lot. Now, most of the time, Arlo came with him. Because those moments between just the two of them, were moments he cherished more than anything. But there were times were he couldn’t go, and Rei would usually send him something from wherever he ended up. Back then, they made Arlo smile. Now, they just served as a reminder, that his friend was gone. 

Arlo was sat on his bed, his eyes boring into the cork board that hung on his wall. A part of him wanted to tear it down, and condemn it for making him feel such a way. But he knew if he did that, it would have the opposite affect. If he so much as tried to tear one of those precious pictures down, he’d burst into tears. In regret for what he had and hadn’t done. 

Arlo regrets a lot of things. 

But what he regrets the most, was how ungrateful he was for these moments. This cork board, was divided into four sections. Appropriately, it was titled “the adventures of Rei and Arlo” because they were idiots. The plan was to take a picture every time they hung out, for four years. When those four years were up, they’d take the pictures down and put them in a photo album. Then the process would start over again. When Rei first mentioned the idea to Arlo, the blonde had been a first year, and he hated just how corny that idea was. Nonetheless, he ended up agreeing to it. Their first picture being the two enjoying a cup of coffee at an ungodly hour of the day. 

Arlo’s fingers brushed the picture gently. The memory fresh in his mind like it had been yesterday. He could very clearly remember what kind of coffee each of them had gotten. He also remembers that they had split a a piece of cheesecake on their way home that day. 

The cork board held too many memories. Memories that he couldn’t remember, and some he could never forget. Well, that was the point of the pictures right? So that they’d never forget.

Arlo sighed, they took too many pictures. Probably a sign that they hung out too much, but there was a spot, in the fourth section of the cork board, that had been reserved for the day Arlo graduated. Arlo’s eyes burned. He remembered the plans Rei had made so clearly. Theyd go get something to eat, and after effectively wearing themselves out, they’d return to his apartment and begin making the photo album. Maybe Rei could’ve talked him into a drink, though Rei didn’t drink much himself, it was a funny thought. 

Looking at the cork board now, Arlo tried to ignore the stinging in his eyes. He had always thought, him and Rei would remain friends for a long time, if not forever. Never did he think that their friendship would end before the even got to fill up the cork board. 

Reality was cruel, wasn’t it?

The last picture they had on the board, had been taken a month ago. Arlo remembers the date clearly, it was only two weeks before Remi had told him the news. Meaning, it could’ve been only a week before Rei’s death. If Arlo has known that, he would’ve made the most out of that day. When Rei asked if he wanted to get coffee, he would’ve replied more enthusiastically. He would have been early, so he could spend more time with him. He would’ve suggested other things they could do before parting ways. 

And he would’ve cherished that final hug.

Rei always gave he best hugs, and they were not to be taken for granted. But Arlo did so anyway. It didn’t matter how many times he hugged the other, he always did it the same way. But if he would have known that that hug would be the last. He would have held on tighter. He would’ve wrapped his arms around Rei’s slim frame until he was likely crushing the other. He would’ve buried his face to hide the tears that would inevitably form, because it always hurt to say goodbye. He could deny it all he wanted, but every time they parted ways, he felt like a part of him was being ripped away. 

And this time, it really was. 

Maybe he’d take the pictures down, and make that photo album like him and Rei had planned to. Or maybe, that would hurt to much. Knowing that Rei was meant to be here with him. So he’d leave the cork board up, as a gentle reminder of how lucky he was to have a friend like Rei. 

So as he turned away from the cork board, he finally allowed salty tears to escape his eyes. 

It was the least he could do. 


End file.
